Close Visual Imaging for Bridge Inspection of Motorway Underdeck

November 19, 2020

Drone-based Close visual inspection of underdeck areas for Level 2 Inspection of M2 Motorway Bridges

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Diodrone was engaged to support level 2 bridge inspection of 3no. Bridges on one of Sydney’s Motorways. Consisting of dual carriageway decks and spanning significant creek systems, the bridges location and size meant that inspection with conventional underdeck units or height access equipment would be particularly costly and, also, disruptive to the operation of the motorway.

Project Scope
Drone based Imaging
Drone based Imaging
Close Visual Inspection
Close Visual Inspection
High Resolution Imagery
High Resolution Imagery
Close visual imagery for bridge inspection identified defects and eliminated the need for working at heights
High resolution image based inspection of headstocks and bearings. The level of detail captured by the drone-based methodology was sufficient for identifying defects and eliminated the need for working at heights.
 
DIODRONE SOLUTION

Diodrone mobilised a dual operator crew and specialised industrial inspection drone system to capture imagery and video footage of the underdeck elements.

The drone was equipped with LED spotlight to provide improve photography conditions in the dimly lit underdeck areas.

The dual operator crew, with one person piloting the drone, and the second person controlling the camera, carried out the bridge inspection of the 3no. Bridges over a total of 5no. Days onsite—capturing still imagery and video footage of all underdeck elements.

Drone-based inspection of more than 2km of motorway bridges entirely eliminated working at heights from the project.

Inspection data was organised and renamed according to an asset specific naming convention and delivered via a PDF report.

The use of drone inspection on the project entirely eliminated the need for working at heights, nightshifts and traffic control—resulting in significant cost savings to the asset owner, reduced disruption to road users and eased resourcing for the engineering inspectors having not to work nightshifts.

Close visual imagery for bridge inspection underdeck